I love to watch old episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation. You can learn a lot from that show. Worf teaches us, for example, that in Klingon culture, any day you die in battle is a good day to die. So, before crushing my arch nemesis in the battle for garden domination, I first say, “It is a good day to die, my friend.” [Read more…]

I have a friend who tells me she couldn’t grow a plant if her life depended on it. “I have a ‘brown thumb’,” she says and every plant that has unfortunately wound up in her hands dies an untimely death. Well, I’m here to tell you there is no such thing as a brown thumb!

Plants need what people need – the basics: air, light, food and water. We tend not to like things to prey upon us and neither do plants. And we certainly do not care for certain bacteria and definitely do not like viruses. Guess what? Neither do plants! So, your approach to gardening, whether you are a beginner or a seasoned veteran like me, should begin with that basic premise – plants need what people need.

What I hope to achieve with this blog is to help you understand that with a little bit of instruction, a good dose of trial and error, and some imagination, you can enjoy the delights of creating your own outdoor space in which to relax, play, and even work – I often bring my laptop out to the patio to ease the pain of having to work at home! As you can see from the featured image at the top of this post, you couldn’t ask for a better “desk” view!

Here’s a very brief overview on the essentials to get us started. [Read more…]